The rise and fall of Brazil’s public security program: PRONASCI

Abstract

This study focuses on political and administrative issues in program design in a complex federal system. It examines the rise and fall of Program for Public Security with Citizenship (PRONASCI) in Brazil. This innovative, even radical combination of police reform and social change targeting crime and police practices in the nation’s poorest communities was launched as a national policy in a country – like the USA and other large democracies – with a strong federal constitutional framework. Although it was successful in many aspects, it ran afoul of a political and bureaucratic process tugging between innovation and conservatism and eventually collapsed, not on its merits but in the face of policy implementation issues that may be found more generally in the domain of police reform. One lesson of PRONASCI is that the reform process must take into account bureaucratic interests, the stance of the media, and opportunities that emerge at crucial moments in the political process. It also must sustain the commitment of political elites to the necessity of pursuing change.

Keywords:

• Brazil
• police reform
• public administration
• federalism
• political process
• social development

Notes

1. This management and measurement program was developed by Fundação Getúlio Vargas, in Rio de Janeiro. The construction of multiple evaluation strategies, despite being complex to implement, allowed us to monitor the development of PRONASCI and its impacts in a comparative and longitudinal manner. This provided an empirical basis for policy adjustments, as well as highlighting their results. This helped to hold the program accountable, and facilitated external pressure toward action at the sub-national level. The present paper is largely based on this research.

2. UPP means Unidade de Policia Pacificadora (Pacifying Police Unit). These units seem to be responsible for an increase in trust in police and declining fear of crime in Rio de Janeiro city. The UPPs operate in a manner that is distinct from traditional, repressive, policing, employing a community policing style instead.

3. Source: blog of Dilma (Dilma 13) during the presidential campaign (http://www.dilma13.com.br/entry/dilma-discute-propostas-para-segurança-publica/).